Converting a Non-Honors Course

Honors students at Bluefield College may earn Honors credit for courses taken outside of regular Honors-level offerings each semester by petitioning to convert a non-Honors course to an “Honors-Enhanced” course.

Honors-Enhanced Courses

Although there will be variations by discipline, instructor, and class, Honors-Enhanced courses should provide students with the opportunity for an enriched academic experience – for creative and active learning that enhances Honors students’ depth of knowledge of course content. Honors-Enhanced courses should not simply require students to complete more work; instead, students should complete work that is different than that required of students earning regular credit for the class. Students enrolled in Honors-Enhanced classes might, for instance, be asked to complete the following types of activities/assignments (in addition to or in place of regular course assignments).

Possible Course Enhancements

Deliver an oral presentation or lecture to the class on a special topic or research effort.

Complete and submit a research paper or project to a scholarly organization for presentation or publication.

No matter which specific activities/assignments are required, Honors-Enhanced courses should provide opportunities for more in-depth and hands-on learning for Honors students. Ideally, the work that Honors students complete in Honors-Enhanced classes may have connections to larger projects that they are carrying out – like Senior Seminar projects.

Application Process

Students interested in earning Honors credit for a non-Honors course (for adding an Honors Enhancement to a regular course) should contact the course instructor, discuss the possibility, and make arrangements for Honors credit during the fall or spring registration periods – well in advance of the semester when the student will actually take the course. Instructors are under no obligation to agree to make their course an Honors-Enhanced course. If an instructor does agree to an Honors enhancement, the student should download a copy of the Honors Course Enhancement Form and complete it in consultation with their instructor. The form must also be signed by a member of the Honors Program Committee and the college’s Registrar. Completed Honors Course Enhancement Forms – accompanied by a copy of a current or recent syllabus for the course – should be submitted to the Honors Program Director.

Deadline

To earn honors credit for an Honors-Enhanced course, students must submit an Honors Course Enhancement Form by the end of the first week of the semester when they are planning to take the class.

Mid-Semester Reports

A mid-semester report detailing students’ progress in an Honors-Enhanced course should be completed by the students and their instructors and should be submitted to the Honors Program Director.

Grade Requirements for Honors Credit

Students must earn a grade of B or higher in an Honors-Enhanced course in order to earn Honors credit for the course. Students who fail to successfully complete the Honors-Enhanced requirements for a course will still receive credit for the course – but that credit will not be Honors credit.